Being obese versus trying to lose weight: Relationship with physical inactivity and soda drinking among high school students.
Moonseong Heo, Judith Wylie-Rosett
PMID 32020630WHAT IT FOUND
Among US high school students, trying to lose weight was linked to being obese and to physical inactivity, not more activity.
Girls trying to lose weight also reported drinking less soda than girls not trying. This is association, not proof.
Key findings
01Students classified as obese were much more likely to report trying to lose weight than students not classified as obese.
02Trying to lose weight was associated with physical inactivity measures for both boys and girls.
03Trying to lose weight was associated with less soda drinking for girls, but not for boys.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The survey is cross-sectional, so it cannot show that trying to lose weight causes physical inactivity, or that physical inactivity or soda drinking causes obesity. The answers are self-reported, including weight-related items, physical activity, screen time, sports participation, and soda intake. The physical activity variables were based on survey items and may be somewhat arbitrary. The analysis excluded 12 students because sex information was missing, leaving 13,571 students for the analytic sample. The study did not test any intervention, so it cannot show that reducing soda or increasing physical activity would improve weight outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these associations as proof that trying to lose weight makes students inactive, or that cutting soda will help them lose weight. The study was cross-sectional, used self-report, and did not test an intervention.